Buenos Aires, Argentina PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL April 3, 1947

Dear Arthur:

I wish to refer further to your letter of March 19 in which you stated that you had. been away on vacation or you would have written me before about a UP story which you append to your letter and which you state seems to giv# strength to the point of view that you and your associates expressed to ae when we had luncheon in Jan­uary in New York. You say that you must say that "the gentleman doesn't seem like the kind I would like to do business with." X do not know wheter you have seen the despatch No. 2137 of March 26 to which I referred in my letter to you and which covers this action of several unions with respect to La Prensa. There have been further developments in this matter and I have written a further despatch No, 2199 of April 2, and in a letter to McDermott I have expressed the hope that this second despatch also will be made available to you for background or to Arthur Krock or Bert Hulen. The substance of the matter is that there was another meeting in the Ministry of Labor when La Prensa and the unlois appeared, and the Ministry of Labor made it clear in a written statement that it had merely acted as a transmitting agent under its legal ob­ligation and that it was not taking any action upon the matter beyond that.

It is unfortunate that the AP dispatch of March 16 gave the impression that the Ministry of Labor had ordered La Prensa to meet the demands of the unions. As a result of that AP dispatch and that incorrect statement therein, there have been editorials in the Times, in the Washington Post, in the Louisville, Courier Journal, and I am sure in a lot 0f other papers throughout our country. I am sure that all ot these editorials were written In the most complete good faith and under the impression that the Government was moving directly against the newspapers, ana

particularly

The Honorable Arthur Hays Sulzberger,

Times Square, New York, N. Y.

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partleularljr Le Prensa, and tflez-e was background for this in view of the f aot that the President himself had 1 A an extemporaneous dpeeoft permitted himself to make the remark that it was not with violence that one must combat un­friendly paper* but by aot buyiag them or advertising in them. On the basis of this background, it is quite nat­ural there should have been the assumption on the basis of this AP dispatch that the Government was moving against the papers*

What I wish to tell you is that while there have been these mistakes by the Government and while there have been mistakes by some of the papers, there is no doubt about the freedom of ths press. Prensa, and Naolon would be the first to admit that they are aot in any way hampered in their printing any news they see fit or in making any comment editorially that they see fit to make. That La Prensa partioularly is somewhat fearful that its posTTion as the leading newspaper in the Argen­tine is threatened, there is no doubt, but this is not so much due to any aets of the Government as to a situation whieh is naturally developing in the country. The posi­tion of La Prensa over so many years has been largely due to its predominance in advertising, and especially in so-called want ads. As it is known that La Prensa has the largest circulation, everybody who wants to be sure that a want ad gets the widest circulation, puts it in the Prensa* I think it may be said that a very considerable percentage, perhaps more than 50 percent, of the people who buy the Prensa do not buy it for the news or for the editorial comment, but simply to look at the want ads.

Now that the other newspapers are gaining strengthi in the Argentine, and this is a perfectly natural devel­opment la the country, with increased circulation they are going to get more of this advertising which normally went into prensa alone, Prensa sees that its eventual posi­tion financially is going to be not as brilliant as it has been. It is really these economio factors whioh are pressing in on the Prensa more than the fear of the free-dome of the press being restricted. One might as well faoe the facts brutally, but it is the real situation, I think it is a mistaken attitude on their part because even though these other newspapers develop their circula­tion, the ehances are that the Prensa will retain the lead which it has for many years to come.

If one

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If one has not lived in a Latin country, it is dif­ficult to understand how deep some of these passions lie which exist in these oountries, and they come to the surface much more freely than suon passions which might exist in our own country. This finds its expression in many ways, and naturally la the Argentine where the country Is undergoing **ry real soolal changes which are inevitable and which are bound to make it a better country* feelings beoome accentuated and find their expression. La Prensa if defending a social «pder in the Argentine whToh Is bound to undergo changes, and it is entirely within its prerogative %o defend that order. It is unfortunate that it represents to so many people, especially among the workers, a selfish class in the Argentine which would oppose itself to any soolal progress for years.

My own opinion is that there will be no interference with the freedom of the press in the Argentine, The pres­ident, In spite of hie unwise extemporaneous remarks with which you are familiar and to which you undoubtedly refer in your letter under reference, realizes the importance of the freedom of the press, and I know what active steps he is taking to see that it is not Interfered with* Nat­urally there are people in the Government who, in the heat of passion, do things which they should not do and it makes it difficult for those who are on top to stop these things, but the important thing is that they have to be stopped. What Is particularly unfortunate it that the President himself permitted himself in such an extemporaneous speech to make the remark which he did which probably represents some of his feelings but which does not represent his ac­tions*

There is no one who believes more strongly In the freedom of the press than I do. There is no one I believe who realizes the dangers which lie in any restriction of the freedom of the press, I believe that in spite of the fact that the press has a responsibility of tremendous importance so far as publishing the facts are concerned and in commenting on the facts, irrespective of improper license which may be used by a part of the press there is no way of controlling that situation without interfering with the freedom of the press, and therefore it is funda­mental and must at all oosts be maintained* Having this attitude, I can tell you that no objective person in the Argentine today can say that there is not complete free­dom ef the press,

Knowing

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Knowing tlie President and the Jtfgh offioials of the Government and knowing what they are doing to main­tain the freedom of the press, I can say to you again that I have every reason to believe that tiie full freedom of the press will be maintained, and this in spite of the fact that this is a Latin country where passions run high and it is one of the few Latin countries that I know in which real freedom of the press exist*.

I have often wished that while I was home I had had an opportunity to have a real visit with you because this Argentine situation is really very important for us. It has always been important, and it is more important now than ever in view of the world picture which we have to face. The responsibilities which are on us are so tre­mendous that one shudders at times, but we have to face them resolutely and undertake them or we are lost.

I know that there are tendencies among many really thoughtful persons at home to consider these other Amer­ican Republics as very secondary countries and as a burden rather than as a help, and therefore to underestimate the importance of inter-American collaboration. This is a great mistake. Because of the relationships we were able to establish with Mexico after a hundred years of name-calling, etc., Mexico was a tremendous help to us during the war., not only as a source of strategic mater­ials which we could get through the help of a friendly government and people, The hundred years of friendship with Brazil stood us in good stead as our military and navy people well know, Kow for the first time in decades, we have a government in the Argentine which is directed towards this hemisphere and towards us rather than towards Europe and which really wants to be friendly with us. If ever it was necessary to consolidate the inter-American system and our relationships with these countries in the political, economic, social, and defense fields, it is now. Our Soviet friends understand the importance of this collaboration among the American states and show it by the way in which the Moscow radio and press organs every day try to undermine it.

So far as collaboration among the American states if concerned, it is useless to think of it as being ef­fective without the Argentine. It is actually and po­tentially the strongest of the other American Republics.

She

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She 1B la a position to be a constructive Influence in the whole American picture, Everything depends upon the way we handle the situation* For years hack and long before this last war, we have not got along well with each other, and mistakes war* made on both sidesr Dur» ing tha last war, tha Argentine Government aggravated the situation an milt up further unhappy background of public opinion in the United States, Now there is a new government here which is really giving attention to the problems of the country and which really wants to be friendly with us and tie itself up with the American pic­ture rather than with Europe, We have got to stop kick­ing it in the back and calling it names unless it is jus­tified by the facts, and even then, there is no necessity for emphasizing situations which exist la similar for* in almost every country but which we know we have to deal with and do not give the exaggerated importance that we give to certain matters in the Argentine,

As a matter of fact, what has happened in the politi­cal, economic, and social fields here is far less advanced and radical than that which has happened in England and so many countries. The program here has bean going for­ward in a very sound way. The Government is no more com­petent than previous Argentine governments, but it is no worse; but one thing must be recognized and that is being recognized by all Argentines, even though they are against the Government, and that is that the Government is really tackling problems of the country which should have had at­tention for years.

There can be no real later-American collaboration without the Argentine for we have to recognize it as a fundamental fact that these other Latin countries have ties which hold them together and which cannot be ig­nored, and if we ignore them, they do not. This is something which some of our people at home are not keep­ing in mind for they seem to think that there can be real hemisphere collaboration without the Argentine,

I cannot enter into this phase of the matter in this letter, but the Argentine Government has complied more fully with its obligations under the Acts of Mexico City in the field of Axis schools and institutions and prop­aganda, and in the field of enemy property than any oth&r American country except ourselves and Canada, One oan't

say

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say this 1ft print because there is no use in being invid­ious in making comparisons, but our Government knows this is so because the facts are there. 80 far as enemy aliens are concerned, what they have done is already impressive and they have not got any credit for it end we keep harping on a relatively small number who are here still and whloh the Government has not been able to get even though it has made these extraordinary efforts. So far as our relations with the Argentine are concerned, there remains only this question of a few enemy aliens, and know­ing the. efforts which the Argentine Government is making, and I do know them, I am convinced that this also will be cleared up soon. It will not be possible for the Argen­tine to get every one of these people any more than it has been for us or the British or others to get every one of these people, but they will get every one who can be found,, and that is all that can be expected. Some of these people who art being looked for would rather undergo anything than be returned to Germany, and E am confident that some of the people whom the Argentine is looking for and on whom we are insisting, have long since been beyond the reach of the Argentine Government, for they have undoubtedly hidden themselves in the large Germany colonies in Southern Chile and in Southern Brazil.

I think you would find that every one who really knows the Argentine of today realizes that there has been a tremendous change in sentiment and attitude here since the present Government took office in June, 1946. It is this Government with which we are dealing and with which we will have to continue to deal, and I nave no doubt in my mind whatever that if we deal with them in a friendly and collaborative way, we will be able to exercise a tremendous influence in shaping things in this country..

I have carried on here perhaps the most difficult task that I have bad la the 33 years of service. In spite of criticism made by thoughtless persons, I have not per­mitted myself to be disturbed in the task which I am carrying on because I know and have known how important it is for our country in the face of developing world events. I think that tremendous progress has been made, and I am not taking any credit to myself. Any one who is familiar with the real facts knows what has happened.

We have

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We have reached the point where we cannot continue the present situation indefiniteiybeoause no country or government that has any pride will permit itself to be kicked in the back too long when it isn't deserving of it and no government can stay in power as it would injure the national dignity by permitting it. If this govern­ment were to pass out of the picture, I do not think you would find a single Argentine today who does not believe it would be succeeded by a very radical government which would offer real danger,

I have every reason to believe that we will reach a solution of the problem in the near future for con­cerning the performance of the Argentine Government there is no doubt, when the facts are examined, and it is on the basis of facts and not what has been written and said in the heat of passion that decisions can be reached. It is because I am so sure that the decision will be made on the basis of facts that I have the courage to proceed in my task, and I would not in any way falter in the task because I know how Important in every respect the close friendship between the Argentine and the United States is and how essential that is in the inter-American pic­ture and because I know what a part that American collab­oration can play in strengthening our hand in the world picture.

Please forgive this long letter* In spite of its length I must say a word about this talk about the Argen­tine being a military threat. If the Argentine had any aggressive intentions with respect to its neighbors, it would not be interested in the defense pact for the de­fense pact will provide for santions and action not only against an extra-hemisphere aggressor but against a hemisphere aggressor. If the Argentine were inter­ested in aggression against any neighbor, she would not be interested in the defense pact so important for all of us for it would bring the wrath of the other 20 republics on her in case of such aggression. So far as her want­ing arms is concerned, all this has been distorted out of proportion for all that she wants here is the material which any army needs to maintain morale and effectiveness. Jf I were to give you the real faots in this connection, they would be so astounding you would hardly believe me. We have furnished almost several hundred millions of dol­lars of arms to Brazil under Lend-Lease in a period when the Argentine has not been able to get a thing.

She

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She is being criticized for the commercial arrange­ments which she is making with her neighbors, and as a matter of fact what she is really doing is sharing the burden with us because most of these countries down here with which she has made these agreements are countries lacking in foreign exchange and they need foodstuffs and the Argentine is giving them credits to tide them over and if we had given them through the Export-Import Bank* there would have been no need for the Argentine to do it. She is no more endeavoring to extend her political influ­ence through these than we are through the credits which we have given to the other American Republics, She is simply sharing a burden which we have been carrying alone ourselves, and she Is the only other country of the Am­erican Republics that is in a position to give such credits. Instead of being criticized for these agreements, she should be given appropriate credit for them, but all this unfavorable publicity with regard to these things is due to the long background Of unhappy relationships which have built up certain attitudes in the atmosphere and of which certaia people write.

So far as President Perdn is concerned, I can only say that if you knew him, you would feel very differently from the thought expressed in the last paragraph of your letter. I have no brief for him nor for any person or country except our own, but I have not lived many years in vain, I hope, and I form my judgments on the facts and not on any passion or prejudice or preconceived no­tions. I would not wish to make invidious comparisions, but I know these countries pretty well, and I can tell you that so far as his personal record is concerned, his character, his social feelings, and his general out­look, I would just as soon give him the hand of friendship as any other chief of state in the other American Repub­lics. I know that statement surprises you, and possibly shocks you, but if I would implement it by the reasons for the statement, you would be in complete accord with what I say.

It la because of the deep friendship and admiration which I feel for you and because of the admiration I have for the great paper which you so ably direct that I have permitted myself to make this comment, inadequate as it is, but still too long. The one thing that concerns me these

days

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days Is that our country be In a position to take ©are of the responsibilities it has and will increasingly have, and for that reason our house in the j\merieas has to be In order.

With all good wishes, believe me,

Cordially and faithfully yours,

George S. Messersmith

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